One Last Chance
by LoveKuroneko
Summary: An urgent message from Liesenburgh makes Winry abandon her training and return to her hometown. She knows she can't deal with this alone so she forwards the message to Ed. Will he choose to return as well? EdxWinry CHAPTER SIX IS UP!
1. The Message

The story takes place around recent events in the manga. Winry went back to Rush Valley and Ed is forced to stay in the military by the Fuhrer. Hope you like it!

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"_I…might have fallen for him a long time ago._"

This thought kept crossing Winry's mind all throughout the trip to Rush Valley. It seemed so ridiculous and yet, every time she pictured Ed's face, she could not help but smile painfully to herself. She felt so silly and childish because Ed was definitely not the right person to fall in love with. At least, not yet. If she could, Winry would squash her growing feelings because it was hard enough not seeing him for long periods of time, waiting like a friend, but with feelings of love, it would be such a heavy burden indeed.

_If I could help it, I'd stop thinking about him…Of course, that's impossible. _

Winry started reminiscing about her childhood. Could she even remember when she first met Ed? No matter how hard she tried, she simply could not find that memory. It was as though they were always together since birth. Whenever Auntie Trisha came over, she usually brought Ed along with her, and even before Al was born, Ed and Winry would be running around the house so much that they would completely lose their energy and sit on their mothers' laps, grinning from ear to ear.

Winry leaned her forehead against the cold window of the train and closed her eyes. The time Ed and Al were fighting over who'd get to marry her came to her mind. She had rejected the both of them just because of height differences, but when she thought deeper, she remembered that at that moment the young Winry secretly wished that Ed would get taller than her because that's what her ideal husband would be. Now looking back, it was as though Winry subconsciously decided that Ed would marry her and she was wishing to perfect him to her liking. The though amused Winry to no end.

Now, the realized feelings were no joke and Winry suddenly felt scared. Before, it was so easy to throw off troubled thoughts and just have fun with her two closest friends, but now everything changed so much. Losing her parents was a big enough shock for her young mind, losing those boys, one of which she simply could not live without, would break her down completely.

_Don't die…_

Winry continuously repeated this in her mind until she felt the train pull to a stop and she opened her eyes. If only he'd call once in a while to ease her suffering, just a little bit.

"Winry!"

Mr. Garfield jumped up and down on the platform, waving his handkerchief.

"Everybody's missed you so much!"

He pulled Winry into a tight embrace and a small tear escaped from her eye. She would not see Ed for a while now… Almost wanting to kill herself out of guilt, she still continued to hope that he would break his automail soon.

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Day after day, Winry continued to equip her customers with automail, imagining that every right arm and left leg belonged to him, taking extra care with the polishing and tweaking. The rest of the time she was busy with more training from Mr. Garfield so she was glad she wasn't left to her own thoughts. But come nighttime, Winry was afraid to go to sleep because she was quite aware of the fact that her thoughts would keep taunting her, even if she tried to fight the urge to think at all. Ed's smiling face, Ed's angry face, Ed's sad face, Al's cold armor… Most of the nights she cried herself to sleep, hoping that as long as Ed didn't actually see her cry, then his promise wouldn't be broken.

One particularly peaceful day, the phone rang. Winry was taking a break from her training so she walked over to the phone and picked it up.

On the other line she could hear Al… and Ed.

Her heart skipped a beat but she quickly went into denial mode, asking Ed whether he broke the automail again. She was completely shocked and taken aback that Ed called just to find out how she was doing. No way was this the same Ed that she left at the train station. As she was trying to put some sense into this nonsense, her mind was going around in circles. She _never_ expected him to call, except the usual repair business. Then suddenly, her mind screamed that not all hope was lost. Ed was still full of surprises.

Winry gently thanked them for calling out of concern. Perhaps Ed was finally maturing…

All too soon the call was over and it was quiet in the shop once again.

Suppressing tears, Winry turned to go back into the workshop and noticed Mr. Garfield closely watching her.

"You love him."

Winry just stood there, with a blank expression on her face. Then suddenly she felt her face grow extremely hot and it seemed like the whole room was spinning.

"_W-what?_ I don't -- I mean, well… but! _No!_ Wrong! I don't…"

She decided to stop before she got ahead of herself. Her face was burning and all she could do was just bury her face in her hands.

"No need to deny your feelings. Honey, just face them."

Winry removed her hands from her face and looked at Mr. Garfield with eyes filled with tears.

"Life will be a whole lot easier if you face your fears. Your case is quite delicate but I've come to see you as the type of girl that can endure anything."

Winry let her tears fall down and giggled a little. She ran over to Mr. Garfield and hugged him.

"Since when did you get so good at this?" she asked. He simply gave her a wink and a pat on the head.

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About a week later, a phone call from Liesenburgh crashed down some heavy news on Winry that simply could not be handled alone. She summed up the courage to actually call the Military and ask for Roy Mustang. She believed that since he was quite a resourceful member of the Military, he could track down Ed and forward a very important message to him.

"Uh, yes, hi. Could I please speak to Colonel Roy Mustang? It's quite urgent."

Winry's voice was shaking for reasons unknown even to her. Perhaps contacting a _Colonel_ of the Military for a favor wasn't exactly one of her brightest ideas. But no matter what it took, she had to tell Ed, let him know…

"Who's calling, please?" replied a very bored and monotone woman's voice on the other end of the phone line.

"Winry Rockbell."

"Reason for calling?" continued the dry voice.

"I…It's personal matters. Please," answered Winry, hoping that she didn't sound like a fool. "Just mention my name and say that it's very important. He'll understand."

"Alright, but please understand, miss, that Colonel Mustang is very busy at the moment. I shall forward the call but you'll have to wait patiently."

"I will," replied Winry in a determined voice. She was prepared to wait as long as they needed her to wait.

The line clicked and she heard distant music, something classical, she guessed.

What felt like forever was soon over when Winry finally heard another click on the line and the music stopped.

"Winry! What's happened? Did someone follow you? Are you in danger?"

Winry held the receiver a foot from her ear and after she was sure the shouting was over, she gingerly returned the phone to her ear.

"Mr. Mustang, sir? Colonel?"

"What's happened? They said that you had an important matter with me?"

Now Winry felt a bit embarrassed. Here the Colonel got so worried about a completely different matter just because she pressed the issue to be extremely important. What else would he think?

"I'm so sorry for worrying you. I think you misunderstood. I don't know why you might think I'm in danger but that's not the point. I called up because of an urgent favor I need from you."

"I'm listening."

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Winry was standing on the station's platform, saying good-bye to Mr. Garfield once more.

"I promise to get back as soon as possible. I know that many customers are relying on me but I simply must return to Resembool, if only for a little while."

Mr. Garfield suddenly looked stern.

"Winry! You are not to return until you have resolved everything back home! I can handle the customers, so don't worry about anything."

Winry smiled painfully and reassured him that she'll call as soon as she gets there. They hugged and Winry went into the train, taking an empty compartment, all the time praying that Ed had got the message.

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"Fullmetal!"

Ed and Al were walking down the street, trying to figure out what to do next, when they heard someone calling Ed. They turned around and saw a car pulling up to them, with Colonel Mustang and First-Lieutenant Hawkeye in it.

"Colonel?" asked Ed, not too happy that his thoughts were so rudely interrupted.

"I have a message to deliver for you, Fullmetal," replied Colonel Mustang. And then when Ed didn't show much emotion, he added. "From Winry Rockbell."

Immediately, Ed's eyes went wide and he stepped closer to the Colonel.

"Winry!" he exclaimed. "What is it? What's the message?"

First Lieutenant Hawkeye smiled at Ed's reaction and he was forcefully reminded of their little talk the night before. Back then the First Lieutenant said that he loves Winry and now her statement was being confirmed even more. Ed tried not to blush and turned to the Colonel with a serious expression.

"The message?"

"Granny is sick. It may be serious. I'm going to Liesenburgh."

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Reviews are more than welcome. I'll try to update as soon as I can so please bear with me while I write the next chapter. wave


	2. What happened?

Sorry for not updating sooner…

Here's the next chapter!

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Winry, once again, found herself on another train, this time headed for Liesenburgh. She couldn't calm down about Auntie Pinako because she had no news whatsoever. After trying to call the house about ten times, she gave up when she continued to hear the dial tone. Wherever Granny Pinako was, she wasn't at home. Or perhaps… she couldn't reach the telephone?

And the person who called to give the message didn't introduce himself but simply said that Granny Pinako was gravely sick. Now what on earth was Winry supposed to think? Maybe it was the doctor from the local hospital? But he could have at least explained the situation and not make her worry. Well, everything will soon be cleared once Winry got back.

Then there was also the talk with Colonel Mustang. He insisted that Winry have an escort from the military because apparently it was dangerous for her to go alone. She didn't understand where the dangerous part came from but she remembered that when Ed was targeted by bad people, he needed an escort from the military. This nasty thought kept tugging at Winry's mind but she insisted to the Colonel that she'll be perfectly fine and before he gave an answer, she thanked him again for the favor and quickly hung up. The thought of needing protection for unknown reasons gave Winry a scare. Was she involved in something that she should be aware of? Was Ed somehow a part of this?

Before she knew it, the train was pulling to a stop and Winry hopped off onto the platform, stretching her arms above her head. Looking around, she decided that she'd check home first and then if Granny Pinako wasn't there, the hospital.

As soon as she approached the house, she could hear low howling. A dog howling.

Den was sitting in front of the house, howling and whimpering. When he saw Winry, he quickly ran over to her and started barking very loudly. Winry ran into the house and called for Granny Pinako. There was no answer.

"Den!" cried Winry back to the dog, who was slowly trailing behind her. "Where's Granny? Come, take me to her!"

Den wagged his tail weakly and sprinted out of the house. Winry followed him closely and soon they were approaching a small white building not too far away from the house. The front of the building was completely bare, except for a red cross painted on top of the door. Winry knocked and then slowly entered.

There was a front desk with a young woman dressed in white. She was busy looking though papers but smiled at Winry when she came in.

"I'm Winry Rockbell," said Winry weakly. "Is Pinako Rockbell here?"

The young woman smiled wider and got up from her seat. She motioned for Winry to follow and went through double doors that led to a long white corridor. At the very end, the woman stopped and opened a door on the left. She stood back and let Winry enter.

The room was also white, like the rest of the hospital, with a bed on the far right. Granny Pinako was lying there, eyes closed, an IV strapped to her left arm.

"Granny!" exclaimed Winry, running over to the bed. "Granny, can you hear me?"

Granny Pinako showed no sign of anyone entering the room and continued lying there, eyes closed, barely breathing.

"What happened to her?" asked Winry, turning to the nurse.

"She had a stroke," replied the nurse. "From what one of the customers was saying, it seems as though she was carrying too much heavy material, most likely metal, and her aging heart simply couldn't take the stress."

"Is it serious?" continued Winry weakly.

"It just might be," said the nurse. "The stroke caused her to go into a coma. Perhaps it was simply the shock but there is a possibility that her mind and body just couldn't keep up with all the physical stress. She is, after all, an aging person, and the things she will be able to continue doing have to be dramatically limited."

Winry looked back at Granny Pinako. She is such a strong automail mechanic and old age got the best of her. What's Winry going to do if she looses her Granny as well? It was bad enough that she had no parents and the closest people she had to a family were out there risking death by inches, but Granny as well?

"The doctor suspects that she'll be gaining consciousness soon," said the nurse. "Don't worry. If she looks after herself from now on, we won't need another emergency like this."

"Was it the doctor that contacted me?" asked Winry, suddenly remembering the phone call.

"Yes," replied the nurse. "Excuse him for being so vague. He had an emergency when he made the call. We tried to get in contact with you again but you were gone by that time."

"It's alright," said Winry. She suddenly felt tears well up in her eyes. "Umm, I'm just going to go outside and get some fresh air."

The nurse nodded with a warm smile.

As soon as Winry was outside, her head started to spin. Suddenly, she got so dizzy that she dropped back against the wall to keep herself from losing balance. She couldn't see anything in front of her because the tears clouded her vision. Sliding down onto the floor, Winry buried her face in her hands and quietly sobbed to herself.

_Nothing feels right anymore…_

What should she do now? Go back to the house? Stay in the hospital? Neither option sounded too appealing.

_I wish he'd be here…_

"Winry!"

Winry thought she heard her name but didn't pick up her head. Perhaps she was simply imagining things out of worry.

"Hey, Winry, what's going on!"

Something clicked in her mind. That voice was painfully familiar.

"ED!"

Winry picked herself up off the floor and ran towards the two boys, continuing to let the tears run down her cheeks. Not realizing what she was doing, she threw herself onto Ed and held him tightly. His strong chest felt like all the support Winry needed these past few days.

"Winry!" exclaimed Ed, while Al danced on one spot, not knowing what to do. "What happened! Did Granny…?"

Winry separated herself from Ed while still holding a strong grip on his arms.

"N-No!" replied Winry with a choked voice. Imagining Granny Pinako dead gave her a fresh scare. "She's in a coma. She had a stroke."

Ed's eyes widened as he continued to look at Winry. He gently disentangled himself from her and entered the hospital, Al following right behind him. Winry looked back at them but didn't move from her spot. She had to stay in the fresh and chilly air, lest another episode of dizziness came along.

Ed and Al didn't come out of the hospital for a very long time, or so it seemed that way to Winry. They might have been gone twenty minutes tops but to her it felt like a few hours at the least. What on earth could they be doing in there so long? Somehow this frightened Winry even more. What if they found out more about Granny Pinako's condition? What if it worsened? Why was she still sitting here anyway?

Quickly making up her mind, Winry got up off the floor and hastily started for the door, only to collide head-on with Ed.

"OW!"

"OUCH!"

Al stood behind Ed, frozen from the shock of what will happen next. Winry's eyes began to water from the pain. She gingerly touched her forehead and felt a painful shock. Ed only vigorously rubbed his own forehead and walked past Winry. He didn't say a single word and continued to walk in the direction of the Rockbell household. Al looked at Ed and then at Winry who didn't move from her position even an inch.

"Are you alright?" asked Al. "Does it hurt?"

Winry mumbled a "no" and turned her head to look at Ed's back that was about to disappear going downhill. Al motioned for Winry to follow and they both went after Ed. She didn't dare ask what happened inside so she just walked in silence next to Al, not even trying to catch up to Ed.

When they reached the house, Den was lying outside of the house, apparently waiting for their return. As soon as he saw Ed, he got up, started wagging his tail and barking loudly. Winry could have sworn she saw Ed pass a gentle smile to the dog, who in turn continued to jump around in joy. Perhaps the situation wasn't as bad as she thought.

"We should go and get some sleep now," said Al, when nobody seemed to want to break the thick silence. "It's already quite dark outside."

Winry nodded while Ed turned to walk to his room without any comment. Al seemed to understand that Winry was confused at this behavior and felt it would be best to comfort her worries.

"Winry," he started. "Brother's acting this way because he's awfully worried about Granny's condition. The doctor couldn't say when she'll be waking up from the coma. This frightened us."

"I understand," replied Winry in a very tiny voice. "I'm going to go rest up as well."

Al simply waved his hand and turned to go to the living room where Den was preparing to take a long nap. Winry painfully got reminded that Al can't sleep in that armor body. He feels so alone at night. At least Den will be with him.

After taking a quick shower, Winry got into bed and for several hours kept tossing and turning, without sleeping for more than twenty minutes. In the middle of her troubled sleep, she heard thunder and then hard rain falling down on the roof. She felt warm and comfortable under her blanket while it was cold and wet outside but whenever she tried to go to sleep, Granny Pinako's face kept appearing in front of her and her worries wouldn't let her relax even a little bit.

At about three in the morning, Winry heard somebody walk past her bedroom door outside in the hallway. It didn't sound like metal armor so she assumed it was probably Ed. Wondering why he wasn't asleep, Winry tiptoed to the door and slowly opened it a few inches. She saw Ed returning to his bedroom, quietly closing the door behind him. Winry walked out into the hallway and approached Ed's bedroom door. What was she going to say to him? Did she even have a reason for disturbing him in the middle of the night? Somehow, Winry felt that if she didn't talk to him, she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, no matter how hard she tried. She needed to calm down her nerves and something told her only Ed could help.

Taking a deep breath, Winry softly knocked on the door.

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I'm sorry for leaving with such a big cliffhanger but I wanted to start their conversation in a new chapter. I'll try to update sooner!


	3. The Truth

Apologies for not updating in a while, but too many things kept me preoccupied. I'll try to make this chapter a little longer for your pleasure. Enjoy!

Side note: THANK YOU for all of the reviews that I've received. They all encouraged me to update, so thank you again!

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As soon as Winry knocked on the door, she quickly regretted doing it. Having absolutely no legitimate reason for disturbing Ed in the middle of the night made Winry's heart beat very fast and she felt a bit dizzy again.

_He'll probably just yell at me and tell me to go back to bed. Maybe he'll just think that I'm afraid of a little thunderstorm…_

Winry screwed up her face in discontent as she heard the door handle move. Ed opened the door halfway and put on a quizzical look as soon as he saw Winry standing there in the hallway, hugging herself because it was chilly.

"What are you doing out here?" asked Ed, continuing to look at Winry with that same expression, making her feel _very_ self-conscious.

"Ah," replied Winry, having nothing smart to say. "I was just…um…you know, unable to sleep…"

Ed raised his eyebrows but didn't press the question onward. Instead he opened the door all the way and stood to the side. Winry felt that no comment was necessary so she simply lowered her head and walked into the room. As she passed him, she whispered a barely audible "thank you" and stole a glance at his face. Ed was deliberately avoiding her eyes, his cheeks burning red.

As the shock of knocking on Ed's door wore off, Winry could finally register that Ed had nothing on but boxers. Whatever jitters she might have felt a minute ago could never level with the absolute nervousness that was coursing throughout her body right now. She had no idea how to react, where to sit, what to say, and what ultimately she wanted to get out of this little midnight rendezvous. Ed took the lead by motioning for her to sit on his bed and she quickly did as was told. He, himself, went over to the dresser and put on a light sleeveless shirt. For some reason, Winry's face burned up even more. It was probably the heat that was getting to her head for she asked the question she least thought of asking him:

"You sleep without a shirt?" And as soon as she asked him that, she wanted to run out of the room right that second. Who asks that kind of question anyway?

_Hold yourself together! It's only Ed._

"It's always hot for me to sleep in a shirt," answered Ed, failing to conceal a bewildered look. "Even without the covers."

"I see," said Winry, hoping she didn't sound too stupid. "I wonder why."

Ed simply shrugged his shoulders and sat down on the bed as well, keeping in check a safe distance between himself and Winry. For a while, there was complete silence, each looking in the opposite direction. At last Winry decided the whole situation was becoming kind of silly, so she slowly began the conversation.

"I guess…you're wondering why I came here."

"Yes," replied Ed, looking at the wall opposite the bed. "Yes, I'm wondering why you came _here_ alone and unoccupied."

Winry was taken aback by this answer.

"Here, meaning Liesenburgh?"

Ed turned his head and sharply looked at Winry.

"Do you know how much danger you're putting yourself in?" he said, his voice devoid of any kindness. "You should not have traveled from Rush Valley yourself, under any circumstances."

Winry felt scared for a moment. What was more, she couldn't bring herself to start talking back to him, something she could easily do up 'til now.

"You always do such rash things," continued Ed, through gritted teeth. He ruffled up his bangs and looked at the floor. "How can I explain this…?"

Winry felt teary-eyed for a moment. What on earth was he talking about? Danger? Colonel Mustang was talking about the same thing. Was there something she wasn't aware of even though she was somehow involved? Wanting to know the truth, Winry stood up and knelt right in front of Ed. Her eyes were piercing into his, catching him off-guard.

"Tell me," she said sternly. "Tell me everything."

How was Ed to get out of this one? On the one hand, he absolutely did not want to tell her about anything because she worried about them enough, but then again, if she understood the situation, then maybe she'd cooperate properly.

"Winry…" he began. How could he possibly tell her that she was being used by Fuhrer Bradley to keep Ed in the military? "What with the Homunculi and the military working together, this isn't exactly a very good time to travel at leisure."

Winry tried to look deeper into Ed's eyes, perhaps hoping to find the truth behind the truth. Ed's expression saddened and he continued to gaze at Winry, all the while wanting to beat himself up for not revealing the whole truth.

"Ed, I won't be fooled," said Winry with defiance in her voice. "I want the absolute truth. Colonel Mustang didn't want me to travel alone as well. There's something more directly involved with me, isn't there? What is it?"

Ed buried his face in his hands.

"I can't tell you," he said into his hands. Winry could barely understand it. "I'm sorry."

_He apologized…For Ed to apologize…_

Winry took a hold of both Ed's wrists and pried his hands away from his face. She looked at the automail and noticed more bumps and scratches than ever.

"Please tell me…" she whispered, pressing his hands against herself. "I want to understand."

Ed blushed a little and turned his face away from Winry, fighting an internal conflict. Should he tell her? Or not? Which one is it!

"Winry, I…" and as soon as he saw Winry's face shining with fresh tears, he couldn't bring himself to lie. Whatever shall happen will happen. "The military…I mean, King Bradley, he might have something to do with it."

Winry let go of Ed's wrists and sat down on her legs. The tears stopped but the sickly feeling inside did not.

"But…" said Winry. "What do they want with me? I mean, I'm not an alchemist or even part of the military."

She looked at Ed for one long second and saw something in his expression. It couldn't be…?

"Is it because _you're_ the one in danger?" she asked in a hushed voice. "And I'm involved because I'm your mechanic?"

"No," answered Ed, looking away. "Because you're more than that."

Winry's eyes widened. What did he mean by that?

"I can't tell you more than this," he continued. "You _are_ involved but it's my fault that you are."

"But…," started Winry but decided against it.

_He's going out of his way to tell me part of the truth so the complete truth might be too hard to tell right now. I'm so grateful he finally confided in me. _

"I'm sorry," said Winry finally, after a few moments' silence. "I'm a burden in this situation, aren't I?"

"No!" cried Ed. "Such a thing to say…It was nobody's fault that we are involved in this, save for the Homunculi. Blame them, not yourself."

Winry wiped her face from the drying tears and stood up. She looked at the window and saw that it was raining harder than when she first entered the room. Perhaps the weather was mirroring her own feelings. Suddenly she felt very cold and alone. Ed was with her and the temperature in the room hadn't dropped a degree but she felt this mixture of weird feelings nonetheless.

"You're going to leave soon, aren't you?" asked Winry, still looking at the window.

"No," answered Ed. "Only when I know that Granny is okay and you are ready to return to Rush Valley."

Winry tore her gaze from the rain and looked at Ed who was concealed in shadows.

"No way am I letting you travel alone again," he concluded. "I'm sorry but please consider the situation now. We're all in danger, especially you."

Winry nodded her head and gave Ed a very weak smile.

"Is…is it okay to…" she started very timidly. "Stay…here tonight?"

Ed got up off the bed and Winry could now see his expression which was a mixture of softness and complete embarrassment.

"Yes…," he said, not looking at her again. "You can sleep here."

He pointed to the bed and Winry, glad for some warmth, quickly dived under the covers. She was surprised to see that Ed wasn't doing the same thing. Then again, she wasn't thinking clearly anyway.

"I'm gonna go sleep in your room then," said Ed and was about to turn around when Winry stopped him with her protest.

"Don't! I mean…I don't want to…er…stay here alone."

"I could ask Al to watch over you," he suggested. Winry had the sudden urge to get her wrench and give him a good beating.

"I…want you," said Winry softly, fondling with the covers. "Please…stay here."

Ed turned a beet-red color as soon as she said this. Whatever he was expecting, this wasn't it.

"But…uhh," he stuttered. "Where am I supposed to sleep? There's not even a couch here."

Winry wanted to burst out laughing.

"I know you won't do anything to me," she began. "You can sleep on the bed as well."

"What!" cried Ed, embarrassment written all over his face. "But that bed isn't exactly queen size. It could _barely_ fit two people on it."

"I'll make room," smiled Winry, patting the spot on the bed next to her. "Come on, I've known you all my life. There's nothing to be weird about. Just two friends sharing a bed to _sleep_ on."

Finally, after much coaxing, Ed agreed. Winry moved closer to the wall, while he lay down on the very edge. He faced his back to her, while Winry did the same. The sound of the rain outside made Winry feel very safe in Ed's bed, under his covers. Then, quite suddenly, she remembered something.

"Ed, your shirt," she said.

"What about it?" replied Ed, his voice sounding tense.

"Aren't you going to be hot sleeping in it?"

"I won't sleep with the covers."

"But you said that doesn't help regardless."

"I'll be fine."

"I don't want you to feel uncomfortable just because I'm here."

"…"

"Come on, Ed. I've seen you only in your boxers countless times in broad daylight. I don't see how this is any different."

"I'll be fine," repeated Ed.

"I don't want you to suffer with the heat, come on. Please," said Winry.

She heard a heavy sigh and felt the bed move a little. Ed sat up in bed and took off the shirt. He lay down again, tense as ever.

"Thank you," whispered Winry, not unlike the way she whispered a similar thank you when she entered the room.

"Mm," replied Ed, having nothing else to say to that. "Go to sleep already and don't worry about Granny. She's a strong woman. No heart stroke can bring her down."

"Heh," said Winry, looking at the wall. "You're right. Thank you."

"You're starting to sound like a broken record," said Ed. "Stop thanking me already, it's okay."

Winry smiled to herself and with her elbow pushed Ed a little in the back. Ed, having been on the edge of the bed (even though there was more room in the middle), almost toppled over onto the floor.

"What was that for!" he protested and pulled hard on the covers. Winry, in turn, pulled on the pillow and hit him with it. Then, they wrestled with the pillow for a while, before calling it quits. It was almost five in the morning after all. Both lay down on opposite sides, facing back to back. It was peaceful and quiet for a while, where Winry dreamt of many things mostly containing Ed.

Ed could only fall asleep after about an hour because millions of things kept entering his mind. Danger. Homunculi. Al. Bradley. Mustang. Winry sleeping inches away from him.

_Why did she want _me _to stay with her tonight?_

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Next chapter won't be delayed, hopefully. Thank you for continuing to read the story!


	4. Surprise

I know I promised to update sooner but… guilty as charged. Anyway, here's the next chapter!

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_Chirp-chirp!_

"Huhn…?" mumbled Winry as she slowly opened her eyes and heard the distinct sound of birds chirping outside. "What time is it?"

She was lying on her stomach, looking at the wall to her right. This was definitely not her bedroom, as far as she could tell. What was more, she felt something heavy lying on top of her back. Groggily, Winry moved her head to the left and almost screamed.

Ed's head was completely buried in her left shoulder and she was quite certain that the heavy "object" on her back belonged to Mr. Elric's automail arm. Even _with_ all the weight adjustments and reductions she did to the automail, it was still frickin' heavy and Winry was starting to lose feeling in her spine. How on earth did Ed walk around with that hunk of metal so easily and freely?

"Ungh!" was the only sound Winry could utter. She felt quite stiff from lying in one place for a while but she _really_ didn't want to wake up Ed. What was more, she was trapped from movement because the wall wouldn't give her much elbow room. Why the heck did Ed move from the edge of the bed all the way to her side? Half the bed was quite empty and all of a sudden, Winry felt blood rush to her face at a rapid speed. Is this what his unconscious mind was telling him to do?

Abandoning all reason, Winry yanked herself from Ed's "grip" by crawling backwards and was just about jump off the bed when she heard slow mumbling. She stood up on the bed and pushed herself against the wall, stealing a glimpse at Ed's face. He didn't wake but with his right arm grabbed the covers and pulled them close to his chest. Winry had a bemused expression on her face.

_Ed is so innocent when he sleeps! It just kills me to leave him alone in the room!_

Without leaving her gaze from Ed, Winry tried to move to the edge of the bed so she could properly get off. What she didn't expect was to trip spectacularly on one of Ed's legs. The noise the fall made could have woken up the whole house, and wake it did. Before Ed awoke, Al was already stumbling into the room, Den barking up a storm. The scene that Al saw made him practically lose his head.

There was Ed, hair ruffled in every which way, looking up with a dazed expression, having only boxers on. And then there was Winry, lying on the floor, nightgown falling off her shoulder, the bottom barely concealing her undergarments, one leg still caught with Ed's, and wearing an expression of complete and utter embarrassment. Al stuttered for a moment and then quickly ran out and shut the door with a resonating _bang!_

Neither Ed nor Winry moved from their previously described positions for quite some time. Perhaps Ed was still trying to register what the heck happened in the first place and why Winry was just lying there. Winry on the other hand, couldn't move because she felt paralyzed out of fear and humiliation. Looking at Ed seemed like an impossible feat.

Finally, without a word, Ed got up off the bed and exited the room. Winry looked after him with a sad expression. Was the situation _that_ bad? She slowly got up off the floor and not wanting to come out of the room, she proceeded to fluff up the pillow and gather the sheets. After the bed was made, Winry sat down on it and rested her elbows on her knees. Not so much as a minute passed by when Ed returned to the room.

"What are you doing?" he asked with an impassive face.

"I made the bed," answered Winry, blushing furiously. "Al didn't…get the wrong idea...did he?"

Ed focused his gaze on Winry for a moment before he turned away and walked to the dresser.

"I explained everything," said Ed, with his back to Winry. "Not that there was much need for explanation."

Winry caught a glimpse of the side of Ed's face. It looked like he was blushing as much as Winry. Well, of course there was no need for explanations since Al knows Ed best. It would be completely out of Ed's character to actually have something happen worth explaining.

"Sorry…," said Winry, more to herself than to him. "I shouldn't have come last night."

Ed was in the process of putting on a shirt, having put on pants already. He turned around and looked angrily at Winry.

"That has nothing to do with it," replied Ed. "Listen -- forget about that. More importantly -- I -- I mean -- I -- that is --"

Winry was witnessing an internal conflict going on inside Ed's mind.

"What is it?"

"I want you to promise me that you won't hesitate to -- call out to me or anything -- when you -- you need help. I mean -- I'm there for you. I don't want you to suffer alone -- if there is something wrong…"

Winry almost toppled down to the floor. This reminded her of the time that Ed called her on the phone to find out if she got to Rush Valley okay. He was the same stuttering and awkward Ed back then as well.

"Ed, what's been happening to you?" asked Winry cautiously. "You were never this considerate before."

Ed blushed even more.

"There's a chance I might lose you," replied Ed, looking at the floor. Winry felt nothing else was needed to be said. She crossed the room toward Ed and wrapped her arms around his neck. She wanted to cry again but tried to stop herself. Then again, these were tears of joy so technically Ed wasn't breaking his promise this time.

"Thank you," mumbled Winry, her face buried in Ed's shoulder. At first Ed just stood there, perhaps paralyzed, like a telephone pole. Then, he slowly put his arms around Winry's waist and pulled her in closer. She heard Ed sniff quietly. Was he crying?

As they parted, Winry said that she was gonna go wash up before breakfast and left Ed alone in the room.

The rest of the morning was quite uneventful. Al apologized to Winry for any troubles he might have caused and Winry just smiled. In the afternoon, they all decided to visit Granny Pinako.

The reception lady reported that Granny Pinako was transferred to a recovery ward. Ed, Al, and Winry were brought to her room, where they all got a surprising shock.

Granny Pinako was sitting in the middle of a room, on a stool opposite some old gramps, playing a game of cards.

"Granny, y-you're okay!" cried out Winry. She ran over to her and looked her up and down. "You were unconscious yesterday!"

"Winry, what are you doing here?" asked Granny Pinako, probably just as shocked. "And Ed and Al! What's going on?"

"The doctor called me and said that you were in a critical condition!" answered Winry. All breath had escaped her. "What else was I supposed to do?"

"Stay put and continue your training!" said Granny Pinako with rage in her voice. "I'm in no need for care. Look at me, I'm fine!"

"But…I," stuttered Winry. Now she felt like a child scolded for doing something bad.

"Hey, Granny!" said Ed loudly. "At least appreciate the concern. Face the fact that you're not young anymore. You gotta take care of yourself."

Winry looked up at Ed and smiled a warm smile.

Granny Pinako looked quite annoyed but her expression softened when she saw Winry smiling.

"Alright, alright, I get," said Granny Pinako. "I'm getting released today anyway."

"WHAT!"

"Yes, the doctor said that I'd recover quicker at home," she continued. "I feel like I've recovered already!"

About an hour later, everybody was standing in the lobby of the hospital while the doctor explained what Granny Pinako can and can't do.

"No more lifting heavy objects."

"Got it."

"No work with automail for at least a week."

"Yes, yes."

"_No worrying_."

"What? Oh, yes."

"Most importantly, right now you need bed rest and quiet."

"But what about my customers?" said Granny Pinako. She was supporting herself with a cane that the doctor insisted she used for a few days to put less strain on the body.

"I can help, Granny," said Winry. "I mean, I can stay here for about a week so that you can recover and I'll take care of the customers in the meantime."

"Oh, but Winry, your training…" replied Granny Pinako.

"Mr. Garfield will understand," continued Winry with defiance in her voice. "I'll call him tonight and explain the whole situation."

"Oh, alright," answered Granny Pinako. "Just the one week. I don't want you to abandon your work there for me."

Winry smiled and looked at Ed and Al.

"We'll stay too," said Ed and Al at the same time. Then looked at each other and nodded once. Perhaps they came to some kind of internal agreement that Winry wished she could be part of.

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Sorry this chapter is so short! I'll try to make up for it in the next one!


	5. Useless

Thank you for all of the reviews! They encourage me to continue on with the story.

Now please enjoy the next chapter!

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As soon as Ed, Al, Winry and Granny Pinako returned to the house, they heard Den barking nonstop with excitement. Winry had to give him some food to shut him up while Ed and Al helped Granny Pinako to her bed.

"And what am I supposed to do for the next week?" asked Granny Pinako with annoyance in her voice. "Just lie here in bed?"

"You're still pretty weak, Granny," answered Winry. "As soon as you feel a bit better, you can come downstairs and maybe sit outside for a while."

Granny Pinako sighed but didn't say anything else. Instead, she closed her eyes and touched her forehead.

"What's wrong, Granny?" asked Al cautiously.

"Just a slight headache," replied Granny Pinako.

"Which reminds me!" continued Al. "Brother, the doctor gave me these medicine prescriptions that Granny has to start taking today."

Ed took the prescriptions and looked at them for a second.

"I'll be going then," he said.

"Wait, I'll go with you," said Winry, suddenly remembering something. "The lady at the pharmacy knows me so she might be able to give us a discount."

"Alright then," replied Ed. "Al, stay with Granny in case she needs any help."

"I will," said Al. Ed exited the room, followed by Winry.

Ed and Winry walked across town in complete silence for a while. Somehow, Winry had a bad feeling about this.

"Ed…?" started Winry quite timidly.

"Hmm?"

"Are…Are you still mad at me?"

Ed stopped walking and looked at Winry, who by now was fidgeting with her skirt, feeling that it was much too hard to look straight into his face.

"Hey," said Ed. "I'm not mad at you. What made you think that?"

"Well, you're so quiet and… I don't know…"

Ed chuckled under his breath.

"Since when has it bothered you if I don't say much?"

Winry looked straight into Ed's eyes. At that moment she completely forgot how she wanted to take out her wrench and give him a good beating.

Ed laughed at Winry's expression and continued walking. Winry followed suit.

"Can I ask you something?" asked Winry after a while.

Ed looked at her once more.

"After you leave me at Rush Valley," continued Winry. "Am I… going to see you again?"

Ed's expression suddenly looked sad and Winry could tell that whatever he wanted to say would come as a hard task.

"Winry," he started. "I already promised that I'll restore Al's body so you won't have to worry anymore. I'll do whatever it takes to fulfill that goal."

"But," said Winry, tears suddenly welling up in her eyes. "What about you? Doesn't that promise include you restoring your arm and leg as well?"

Ed went quiet for a moment.

"I don't want to lie to you," he replied and slowed down his walking pace. "Winry, I'll do _whatever_ it takes to restore Al but I can't completely say the same for me. The situation has become so complicated that I'm afraid to make any more promises."

Winry completely ignored her freely flowing tears.

"Ed?" she said in a choked voice. "I already watched my parents' backs walking away from me only to find that it was for the last time. How can I even begin to imagine what it would be like to lose you as well?"

"Winry, don't cry," said Ed and turned his gaze away from her. Winry could tell that he was blushing.

"Sometimes I blame myself for helping you with your dangerous missions by equipping you with automail."

"You helped me stand and be able to use alchemy again," said Ed, looking at his feet. "That was necessary to correct our mistakes. It's all thanks to you."

"But...," started Winry, wiping her tears away.

"Winry, I promise," said Ed defiantly. "I know I might not be able to keep it but I promise that I will _try_ any means possible to stay alive and come back in one piece."

Both of them looked at each other for a moment before Ed continued:

"And you don't have to blame yourself for anything. Most importantly, stop worrying so much or you'll be the one that doesn't make it through."

Winry giggled and wrapped her arms around Ed's neck. He, in turn, simply blushed more furiously and patted her back a few times.

"Ed? Thanks."

"No problem," he replied. To Winry it actually looked like he was trying to convince himself more than her that everything was going to work out okay.

"You know," said Winry as they continued down the path into town. "Lately I've been feeling kind of restless that all I can do is wait while you two get in on all the action."

Ed smiled a painful smile.

"I'll feel a lot calmer if you continue to stay out of the action."

"But," pouted Winry. "I just wish there was some way I could help you with your goal."

"You're already helping," replied Ed and patted the shoulder blade of his automail arm. "A lot."

"Right…," said Winry quietly and looked at her own hands.

Ed extended his right arm and grasped both of Winry's hands. The cool touch of the automail slightly startled Winry.

"Right now the only thing you have to worry about is your training. Do what you love to do best."

Winry felt like crying again but managed to hold her tears. Instead she smiled and put her right hand on top of Ed's.

Since their pace kept changing, it was quite a while before Ed and Winry reached the pharmacy. The lady at the counter didn't mind giving a discount since Winry and Pinako were regular customers. As soon as Winry got the medicine, she and Ed exited the pharmacy and realized that it was already dark outside.

"What time is it?" asked Winry.

"It's past eight," replied Ed, looking at his silver pocket watch.

"Already?" cried out Winry. "What took us so long?"

Ed shrugged and started walking in the direction of the Rockbell's house. Winry caught up to him, all the while looking around. She didn't like being in town after dark since many men came to bars after work to get drunk. Of course, she was confident they wouldn't do anything to her since she always carried her wrench with her but it was still quite unpleasant for her to have the misfortune of coming across some drunk that could care less what he said or did.

As they walked in silence, Winry could hear all kinds of sounds around her. Before they had the chance to get out of town, her worry materialized in no time.

A couple of drunks seemed to be moving in the direction of Ed and Winry. Ed was looking at the ground, most likely deep in thought, so Winry decided that he didn't see the drunks. Out of pure stupidity Winry stopped walking while Ed continued his pace. Before she could call out to him, the drunks were right in front of her.

"Hey, missy," said one of them, eyes slightly crossed and body swaying. "Such a beauty and so alone…"

Winry, out of reflex, reached for her wrench, only to find that it wasn't there. As a sudden shock, she remembered that she accidentally left it at home after unpacking her stuff. Such a surprise made Winry's legs become temporarily paralyzed.

"What's…wrong?" asked another of the drunks. Winry started panicking. For some reason, she couldn't utter a single word. At that moment she felt stupid that without her tools she was completely useless. Just a girl.

Two of the drunks grabbed Winry's arms and tried to pull her somewhere. Regaining feeling in her limbs, she started to try jerking away from their surprisingly strong grips. With her elbow, she caught one squarely in the nose and he let go of her. From what she could see, the nose started bleeding uncontrollably. The other drunk holding her became furious and threw her hard on the asphalt. Winry felt a sharp pain in her knee as soon as she came in contact with the ground.

"ED!" she cried out and tried to get up but the pain wouldn't let her. She simply shut her eyes and continued to call out Ed's name.

"Winry!" called someone. "Hey, can you hear me?"

Winry opened her eyes and realized that she had fainted. She was lying on her back with Ed leaning over her.

"Can you get up?" he asked.

"I-I think," replied Winry and with Ed's help sat up. She looked around and saw that all of the drunks, there were at least five, were all lying unconscious. Her eyes went wide and she quickly looked at Ed.

"Yeah, I might have overdid it," he said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "But when you called me like that, I thought they were doing something awful to you so I…didn't stop to question them, so to say."

"They wouldn't have done anything to me if I didn't separate from you. I'm so stupid."

"Hey, you should blame them not yourself. I mean, look what they did to you."

Ed pointed to Winry's right knee and she saw that it was completely covered in blood.

"Can you move it?" asked Ed. Winry tried to but all she could do was move the leg sideways. As soon as she started bending it, the pain was too much to bear.

"We gotta stop the bleeding," said Ed, looking around. "Wait here, I'll be right back."

Ed ran inside a convenience store and moments later came out with bandages in his hands. Slowly, he tied the bandages around the knee so that Winry couldn't bend the leg.

"Can you put pressure on it?" asked Ed, helping Winry to stand on her other leg.

Winry gingerly put some weight on the leg and almost fell down when the pain shot through her whole body. Ed caught her in time.

"Should we go to the hospital?" he asked, while Winry leaned on him for support.

"No, no, it's okay," she answered. "It seems as though it's only the bruise that prevents me from bending the knee. It'll go away on its own."

"Then maybe we should apply something cold to it?"

"Ed, if you didn't go into alchemy, you'd make a terrific doctor."

"Through alchemy, you learn a lot about the human anatomy and how everything works."

Winry giggled a little. Ed sighed and crouched down. He took his right automail hand and placed it on the bruised knee. Winry could slightly feel the cold touch and realized that it actually soothed the buzzing pain.

"Ed?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks…"

"…"

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When I started writing this chapter, the bit about the drunks and Winry getting hurt wasn't planned. As the chapter progressed, I felt that Ed and Winry needed some more time alone before returning home, so this interesting episode came to mind.

I also wanted to put emphasis on the fact that Winry can stand up for herself but she relies on her tools too much. More on that in the next chapter! Look forward to it!

Update: I've changed the spelling of Resembool to Liesenburgh. Also, Auntie Pinako is now Granny Pinako since technically, she _is _Winry's grandmother.


	6. Fighting Chance

I apologize for the immense delay. Hope I can compensate with this chapter. Enjoy!

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Winry didn't want Al or Granny to find out about the bruised knee but it was an inevitable feat since she was limping far too obviously. When she had walked through the door, holding onto Ed, Al met them with a happy tone, only to stop in midsentence and start panicking like crazy.

"Is it Scar?! Did you get attacked by the Fuhrer? Was is the Homunculi?!"

Ed quietly led Winry to the couch where he gently lowered her down. Then he came over to Al and punched him right in the stomach. Al simply gaped at his big brother and didn't say another word. Ed ruffled his hair out of frustration and quickly went upstairs with the medicine for Granny.

Winry explained the whole situation to Al and afterwards went upstairs to take a long, hot bath. During her relaxation, Winry remembered her little rendezvous with Ed the night before. He said that she was directly involved because of the Fuhrer and the Homunculi. How and in what way exactly?

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In the morning, Ed was back to his usual self. After breakfast, he and Al went outside to spar a little. Winry cleaned up the table, still lost in her worrisome thoughts. Then she also went outside to watch the boys kicking and punching each other.

Even after watching Ed fight so many times, she was still amazed at his dexterity and quick reflexes. Even though Al usually won, Ed was a genius in his own right. Winry couldn't even begin to understand all of the things that Ed stuffed into his brain. All that alchemy, all those techniques, those skills…

"Ed?"

Ed lost his focus and received a metal punch in his face.

"Winry!

Both Al and Winry began to laugh. Ed puffed up his face and looked away.

"Oh!" cried Al. "I completely forgot to give Granny her morning medicine!"

Ed and Winry watched as Al clumsily sprinted away to the house. Winry examined the ground for a while before turning to Ed, who began doing stretches.

"Ed?" she called quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Could you…," began Winry. "I mean…, would it be possible…um…"

"What?"

"Can you teach me how to fight?" said Winry very rapidly, as though saying it faster would help her nervousness.

"Fight?" replied Ed with a bemused expression on his face. "You?"

"Yes," continued Winry, regaining some of her confidence. "I know my leg is in no condition to physically reenact your sparring match this morning but at least maybe you could show me some helpful techniques."

"Um, why would you want to learn how to fight?" asked Ed, still with disbelief on his face.

"I felt absolutely useless yesterday," said Winry, her cheeks going red. "I don't want to be a damsel in distress."

Ed didn't say anything. Winry looked down at her feet and continued.

"I…" she said. "I don't want to be your weakness."

A strong gust of wind blew at that very second. Winry looked up at Ed, who was completely lost in thought.

"Winry…" he said. He put his hands in his pockets and walked closer to Winry. "Do you… want to know the whole truth?"

Winry's eyes widened. The truth? Slowly, she nodded her head.

"You _are_ my weakness," began Ed, with a determined expression on his face. Winry's cheeks glowed even more red. "Bradley knows this. He's trying to keep me out of his plans by using you."

"H-how-?" trembled Winry.

"He knows where you live, where you're staying in Rush Valley. He knows everything. And if I so much as put a toe out of line, he will come for you and then use harsher means to keep me still."

Winry's eyes widened even more. She put both hands on her mouth and began to vigorously shake her head from side to side.

"No! How could he? What—I! But—he !... What are we gonna do?!"

"I don't know… but as long as you are under his careful watch, I can't do anything to risk your safety."

Winry only now realized that she is the only weakness that is keeping Ed and Al in a stagnant position. That means that they care for her safety more than getting their original bodies back. The thought of this made Winry feel good and bad at the same time.

"Oh! Ed!" she wrapped her arms around his neck and both of them fell down onto the floor. "I'm so sorry! I'm such a burden to you! If it wasn't for me, nothing would stop you from getting your bodies back!"

"Winry!" Ed couldn't push her off of himself so he simply lay there, huffing and puffing his chest. "You are not a burden! I'm just grateful for your safety! I don't want Bradley's dirty hands to get to you!"

Winry picked herself up into a sitting position while Ed continued to lie on the grass.

"Don't worry," he continued. "We'll figure something out."

Winry still had a sad expression on her face so Ed stood up and offered her his left hand. She took it and pulled herself up.

"I will teach you how to fight," he said. "For the remainder of the time that it takes Granny to recover, I will stay here with you and teach you to fight."

Winry gave a quiet thank you and a small smile. For a moment, both of them looked into each other's eyes and said nothing. Winry couldn't stop admiring the golden tones of Ed's eyes and the sun made them glitter with a mesmerizing feel. Ed blinked and looked away. It was obvious that he was worrying about something.

"Do a few stretches first," he said. "Make sure not to put too much pressure on that knee wound. Don't want another injury."

Al didn't come down the whole morning or the afternoon. He simply watched his brother and friend down in the field. He perfectly understood their feelings and felt that his brother deserved this kind of happiness more than anybody else. These kinds of simple joys would soon be rare and maybe disappear completely. Of whatever time they had left to be idle, it was perfect to spend it back home with people that were closest to them.

Winry ignored the stabbing pain in her knee. She lied to Ed that it almost healed. She wanted more than anything to keep going, to learn more, to… be with Ed more.

"Now, try to block me," said Ed and after making sure for the umpteenth time that Winry's leg didn't hurt, he made a lunge for her. Winry was about to put her leg in front of her for better balance when the pain became unbearable. She cried out and lost her balance. Hitting the ground hard, Winry felt hot tears on her sweat soaked face. Keeping up with Ed was hard enough, but with a bruised knee, made it nearly impossible.

"Winry!" cried Ed. "Are you okay? I didn't even touch you and you fell!"

The pain made Winry grit her teeth and the only sound she could make was a low moan. She put a hand on her knee and felt something sticky. It was bleeding again.

"Didn't I ask whether it hurt?" asked Ed furiously. "Why did you push yourself so much?"

"I…don't want to be left behind."

Ed calmed down and lightly picked her up.

"You won't be."

He carried her back to the house, where Al and Den were busy at the kitchen, making supper.

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I know it's been while since I wrote anything but college has taken up most of my time. I do hope to finish this story! Stay tuned!


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